Baseball and Hot Dogs: Fenway Frank

Hot Dogs and baseball have a long history together dating back to late 1800 / early 1900's.  I know whenever I go to a baseball game having a hot dog is a must.  How can you go to Fenway Park and not get a Fenway Frank?

Since 2009 Kayem out of Chelsea, Ma has been the supplier of the beef hot dog that is known as the Fenway Frank. My last trip to Fenway was on May 21, 2014 when Kate and I took our Mom's to a Red Sox vs. Blue Jays game.  It was a fantastic day, sadly the Red Sox couldn't pull off a win.

At Fenway you can get a Fenway Frank from almost all of the concession stands in the concourse, that's not for me.  I like getting them from a vendor that walks through the stands.  They carry this large steamer that has the buns on one side and the franks on the other.  It's 50 cents more this way, but it's worth it!  Needless to say, they are awesome!  Like all my Hot Dogs I like my dressed with just yellow mustard.

During April vacation this year my mom and I took the kids to a Sea Dogs game at Hadlock Field in Portland.  As the Sea Dogs are the AA club for the Red Sox they too serve the delicious Kayem Fenway Frank, and I had two during the course of the game.

The Red Sox are not the only team to have their own signature hot dog. The Texas Rangers have the two foot long Boomstick, the Arizona Diamondbacks have an 18 inch corn dog called the D-Bat, The Los Angeles Dodgers have the 10 inch Dodger Dog, and Kayem also makes the Rays Dog the official hot dog of the Tampa Bay Rays.  This is just a small sampling, every ballpark has their own take on it.

Thanks for reading, please feel free to leave a comment with your favorite ball park hot dog.

Later Readers!

Grant's Bakery

Grant's Bakery

525 Sabattus St

Lewiston, Maine  04240

(207) 783-2226

Website / Facebook

Grant's Bakery is one of the few real bakeries that I am aware left in Maine.  Back when I was a kid MacDonald's Bakery in Gardiner was the greatest place to get baked goods, breads, cookies, donuts, and more.

Grant's is similar in that you can get cakes, cookies, donuts, baked goods, breads, hot soups, and of course being in the heavily French community they have creton, tourtiere pie, and on Saturdays the traditional baked beans and brown bread.

I have been there many times in the past, but on this visit I picked up a peanut butter whoopie pie, and a couple ginger and molasses cookies.  I've never bought anything from there that I didn't like.

When I was a kid MacDonald's Bakery made these frosted gingerbread men cookies that were similar to these made by Grant's, however MacDonald's frosted theirs completely covered all of the cookie and not just around the edges.  Although these are close, they are not as good as MacDonald's were.

Thanks for reading, please leave a comment and check out my other posts.

Later Readers!

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S. Fernald's County Store

50 Main St
Damariscotta, ME  04543
(207) 563-8484

Website / Facebook / Instagram

A co-worker of mine had told me about this fun Country Store in Damariscotta that she had gone to over the weekend with her husband called S. Fernald's County Store and that I would like it, and she was correct.

The wife and I decided to check it out on Saturday morning April 2nd. We both had been by it several times in our lives and never stopped in, which I regret because it is such an awesome store.

The inside is decorated with porcelain signs, Moxie memorabilia, old fashion candy all over the store, ice cream station featuring Round Top Ice Cream, and an outstanding delicatessen.

I was hoping to find frooties which I used to buy when I was a kid but alas they do not have them.  In fact the only place I have been able to find them in recent years was at Chutter's in Littleton, New Hampshire.

Frooties!!!

When I was a kid I found this catalog called "Things You Never Knew Existed and Couldn't Possibly Live Without" that I loved.  It was full of unique and awesome stuff.  It looks like S. Fernald's knows about the same catalog as they had some pretty cool toys and jokester stuff all over the store.  Kids have to love it.

They are open for Breakfast and Lunch and for coffee loves they have Rock City Coffee Roasters out of Rockland, my wife was quick to grab a cup.

My wife got a sandwich at the deli, and she loved it.  She built her own with ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and a dill mustard mayo spread on wheat bread.

There are a lot of great looking signatures sandwiches available and several options with a build your own, which is what Katie did. Check out the menu.  They also have a fine chip and drink collection to accompany your sandwich.  You can even eat there in there limited table section.

This place clearly loves Moxie! Which is great as I love Moxie.  I really think the owners need to get in touch with Frank from Kennebec Fruit Company in Lisbon Falls and get his Moxie Ice Cream recipe.  It looks like Kennebec's is closing as the building has been put up for sale and someone needs to carry on the tradition of Moxie Ice Cream.

We'll go back again, no doubt about it.  Probably even grab a sandwich on the way to Pemaquid Point Lighthouse for a picnic on the rocks.

If you're in the area be sure to check them out.  You can find them on the internet:

Thanks for reading, please leave a comment if you have any questions.

Later Readers!

Update:  On April 17th we returned to Fernald's on out way to Pemaquid Lighthouse and grabbed a couple sandwiches.  Kate got the same sandwich that she had gotten before.  I built my own with smoked turkey, bacon, cheddar cheese, pickles, tomatoes, and that dill mustard mayo on wheat bread.  It was fantastic!

Here are some more photos of this great store....

Simones' Hot Dogs

Simones' Hot Dog Stand

99 Chestnut St

Lewiston, Maine  04240

(207) 782-8431

Website, Facebook Page

Simones' Hot Dog Stand has delivered their World Famous Hot Dogs to the residents of Lewiston for over a hundred years, since 1908.  I had only been there once prior to my visit on Friday April 8th.

I arrived just before the lunch rush and sat at the counter.  Besides Hot Dogs they offer a large menu of breakfast and lunch items.  On Wednesdays steamed hot dogs are just $1, a deal you can't beat.

I myself got the #1 combo which is two steamed hot dogs, french fries or onion rings, and choice of beverage.  I got the hand cut french fries.  I watched my server cut two potatoes withe slicer and drop them directly into the fryer.  Can't get fresher than that!

The buns are New England Style top split and were steamed to perfection, the steamed dogs are Jordan's brand red snappers, any my beverage of choice was an ice cold Moxie, the official soft drink of Maine!  The whole mead was delicious!

The Steamer

Everyone working there that I had interaction were super nice making you feel right at home.  I wouldn't hesitate to go back in the future.

Thanks for reading, please feel free to leave a comment and check out my other posts.

Later Readers!

Preparing my hot dogs

Old picture I found on the internet

Raye's Mustard

Raye's Mustard Mill in Eastport, Maine is the oldest and only stone ground mustard mill in the country.  It was started back in 1900 by J. Wesley Raye producing mustard to be packed with Sardines for the numerous canneries that were in the area.  The current location was opened in 1903 and they have not stopped making mustard ever since.  Mustard is THE best topping for Hot Dogs, and I rarely use anything more than mustard.

During our Honeymoon in 2013 we headed north starting in Fort Kent and wound out way down cutting in and out of Canada spending out last night in Bar Harbor.   Along the way, on September 18th, we stopped at Raye's Mustard Mill.  Fortunately for us they were making mustard!  We were not allowed to take pictures in the production area but it was very fascinating to watch the process.

We sampled each and everyone of their mustard's and ended up buying a few that I had never seen locally.  In our area we can get Raye's a lot of places including Hannaford and Reny's but they don't carry every flavor.  You can find it not only all over Maine but across the country as well.

Raye's Downeast Schooner yellow mustard has won the gold medal at the World Wide Mustard Competition for the last 9 consecutive years.  Their other flavors include:

Atlantic Brewing Company's Bar Harbor Real Ale
Brown Ginger
Dundicott Hott
Fall Harvest - made with Maine Cranberries
Garlic Honey Wine
Heavenly Jalapeno
Hot & Spicy
Hot off the Stones
Jameson Tavern Style
Lemon Pepper
Maple Horseradish
Mosse-a-maquoddy Molassess - super good!
Moxie Mustard - I haven't had this yet and as a Moxie fan I must find it!
Old World Gourmet - a European Style Dijon
Raspberry Wine
Sea Dog beer
Shipyard Pumpkinhead
Spicy Horseradish
Spring Maple
Summer Harvest - made with Maine Blueberries
Sweet & Spicy
Top Dog - my favorite one!
White Lightning
Winter Garden - a blend of Dill, Garlic, & Celery a Labbe Family favorite!

Thanks for reading, please feel free to leave a comment and you can find out more about Raye's at their website: Raye's Mustard.

Later Readers!